Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1871.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 660, 5 July 1871, Page 2

Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1871.

Worse —far worse than we expected—is the financial position of the Province. We blame the Superintendent equally, with Mr Reid for this. His Honor may have attempted to hold a controlling power, but he has not, for ostensible reasons, properly exercised it. He has not, in fact, acted as the captain of the ship, except to catch the winds of popularity. Here, and only here, do we recognise Mr Macandrew's weakness. Active, able, and industrious, he has let the Otago ship of state drive on to the lee shore. We do hope ho will re-peruse his election address, and act up to it. The farce of responsible government for this province is surely now played out, and the new set of actors on the boards do not hesitate to proclaim that the curtain must soon fall. The Province is hopelessly insolvent, as far as regards meeting the wants of the day —represented by salaries and public works. It has yet however left a magnificent lauded estate, locked up by past mis-government. The present Ministry propose to retrieve the error by sacrificing it that the presumptive heir (the Colonial Government) shall not enjoy it. Mr Reid and his party, but for their crooked policy desire to be rev nged on the squatters in the Taieri district, could long ago have satisfied the legitimate demands of the country for land ; now they purpose to sell a landed estate, when not asked for, to pay off creditors. If the General Government is soft of heart

and permit this, it will find that generations will be required to repair the damage done. What faith can anyone have in a system of Government unable to pay its way honorably, and has, like Mr Bradshaw (the Treasurer) did, to use sophistry, to make the evil look less dark than it actually -is? Nevertheless, wegiveto Mr Bradshaw every credit due to the execution of an unpleasant task. The Council here staved off the day of being locked out in the cold for a few months more, and for that they may thank the Reid Ministry, and its obsequious tail. The Reid Government and its party in the past is the cause of all the misery we have as up-country settlers to yet endure. It still reigns, as Mr Haughton puts it, because it sings everlastingly the " Old Hundredth." It has refused us localjself-govern-ment; and has built the City of Dunedin. We could indicate the party Mr Reid represents, by citing their past acts, but suffice it to say the actual result is before us, as witness: —1. No more roads. 2. Dissentions in the Council and Province. 3. A dual expensive system of Government to maintain. 4. No grants in aid except those provided by the General Government to Road Borrls. 5. The country going to the dogs, and bankruptcy arising from incompetent management. If any one thinks that we have highly colored the picture, let him show in what way ; but first consult the estimates.